The Interlopers

The Interlopers
by Saki
Imagine you are in a dark forest on a winter night, hunting an enemy_who

just happens to be your neighbor. Now suppose that your neighbor is hunting
you, too. What makes people who should be friends become fierce enemies?
Who is the loser in this storys deadly fight? The answer may shock you.
LITERARY FOCUS: OMNISCIENT NARRATOR

A storys omniscient narrator knows everything that happens, and why. This
type of narrator is not a character in the story but an outside observer who
can tell you what each character is thinking and feeling.
As you read The Interlopers, pay special attention to the information
the narrator gives you about the two characters pasts.
The narrator of The Interlopers makes us think that events are leading
one way_up until the storys very end. Prepare to be surprised.
READING SKILLS: MONITORING YOUR READING
Look for context clues that can help you figure out the meaning of
unfamiliar words.
Break down long sentences into shorter ones.
Look for the subject and verb in confusing sentences.
Stop to summarize important passages or scenes.
Re-read tough passages. Some passages are hard to understand the first
time.
Try to visualize, or picture, the events that are happening.
Literary Skills
Recognize an
omniscient
narrator (or
point of view).
Reading
Skills
Monitor your
reading.
Vocabulary
Skills
Understand and
use context
clues.
80
Part 1
Collection 3: Narrator and Voice
Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Some of the words and sentences in The Interlopers may seem difficult.
The following tips will help you understand this classic story.
PREVIEW SELECTION VOCABULARY

Preview the following words from The Interlopers. Study the words before you begin the story.
precipitous (prsipts) adj.: very steep.
The wooded slope was precipitousa vertical

cliffand hard to climb.
acquiesced (akwest) v. (used with in): accepted; agreed; consented.
retorted (ritrtid) v.: replied in a sharp or witty

way.
Feeling insulted, he retorted angrily.

condolences (kndlnsiz) n.: expressions of
sympathy.
They never acquiesced in the judgment of the

court; instead, they bitterly opposed it.
marauders (mrdrz) n.: people who roam
around in search of loot, or goods to steal.
The man kept a sharp lookout for marauders

who might be prowling through the woods.
exasperation (egzasprn) n.: great
annoyance.
His exasperation at being captured was so great

that he cursed aloud.
pious (ps) adj.: showing religious devotion.
When he heard about his enemys death, he sent

condolences to the widow.
languor (lagr) n.: weakness; weariness.
After hours of hard work, he felt a great

languor, and this exhaustion lasted all day.
reconciliation (reknsiln) n.: friendly end
to a quarrel.
The fight could end in one of two ways

reconciliation or death.
succor (sukr) n.: help given to someone in
distress; relief.
Although not religious, his words were pious.
CONTEXT CLUES: SOLVING

WORD MYSTERIES
Successful readers are like detectives looking for clues. When
good readers see an unfamiliar
word, they look at the context
the words and sentences around
the word_for clues to its meaning. Look at these examples to
learn more.
Unable to free themselves, they waited for

rescuers to give them succor.
Type of
Context Clue
Example
Definition
or restatement
Titos languor, his complete weariness,

came when the danger was over.
Example
Titos languor was like the feeling you

get after defeat in a basketball game.
Antonym
His cousin was full of pep, but Tito had

a feeling of languor.
Cause and effect
Because of his languor, Tito slept all day.
The Interlopers
81
The Interlopers
Saki
Michael Busselle/Getty Images.
In a forest of mixed growth somewhere on the eastern spurs of

the Carpathians,1 a man stood one winter night watching and
listening, as though he waited for some beast of the woods to
Which character are you

introduced to in the first
paragraph? What is he looking for in the forest?
come within the range of his vision and, later, of his rifle. But
none that figured in the sportsmans calendar as lawful and
proper for the chase; Ulrich von Gradwitz patrolled the dark
forest in quest of a human enemy.
The forest lands of Gradwitz were of wide extent and well
10
stocked with game; the narrow strip of precipitous woodland

that lay on its outskirt was not remarkable for the game it har-
precipitous (prsipts)
adj.: very steep.
bored or the shooting it afforded, but it was the most jealously
acquiesced (akwest) v.
(used with in): accepted;
agreed; consented.
suit, in the days of his grandfather, had wrested it from the ille-
Acquiesce has the same Latin

origin as quiet. Someone
who acquiesces agrees
quietly and without
excitement.
guarded of all its owners territorial possessions. A famous lawgal possession of a neighboring family of petty landowners; the
dispossessed party had never acquiesced in the judgment of the
courts, and a long series of poaching affrays2 and similar scan1.
2.
82
Part 1
Carpathians (krpnz): mountain range that starts in Slovakia

and extends through Poland, Ukraine, and Romania.
poaching affrays (frz): noisy quarrels or brawls about poaching,
which means fishing or hunting illegally on private property.
the game for whose presence he kept so keen an outlook was
dals had embittered the relationships between the families for

three generations. The neighbor feud had grown into a personal
20
one since Ulrich had come to be head of his family; if there was
a man in the world whom he detested and wished ill to, it was
Georg Znaeym, the inheritor of the quarrel and the tireless game
snatcher and raider of the disputed border forest. The feud
Re-read lines 19-31.

Underline what you learn
about why the two men continue the fight between the
neighboring families. Whom
is Ulrich feuding with?
might, perhaps, have died down or been compromised if the

personal ill will of the two men had not stood in the way; as
boys they had thirsted for one anothers blood, as men each
prayed that misfortune might fall on the other, and this windscourged winter night Ulrich had banded together his foresters
to watch the dark forest, not in quest of four-footed quarry, but
30
to keep a lookout for the prowling thieves whom he suspected of
marauders (mrdrz) n.:

people who roam around in
search of loot, or goods to
steal.
being afoot from across the land boundary. The roebuck,3 which
usually kept in the sheltered hollows during a storm wind, were
running like driven things tonight, and there was movement and
unrest among the creatures that were wont to sleep through the
dark hours. Assuredly there was a disturbing element in the forest, and Ulrich could guess the quarter from whence it came.
In lines 44-45, underline the

compound word_a word
that is made up of two
words. What does this compound word mean?
He strayed away by himself from the watchers whom he had

placed in ambush on the crest of the hill and wandered far down
the steep slopes amid the wild tangle of undergrowth, peering
40
through the tree trunks and listening through the whistling and
skirling4 of the wind and the restless beating of the branches for
sight or sound of the marauders. If only on this wild night, in
this dark, lone spot, he might come across Georg Znaeym, man
to man, with none to witnessthat was the wish that was uppermost in his thoughts. And as he stepped round the trunk of a
huge beech he came face to face with the man he sought.
The two enemies stood glaring at one another for a long
silent moment. Each had a rifle in his hand, each had hate in his
heart and murder uppermost in his mind. The chance had come
3.
4.
roebuck (rbuk) n.: male (or males) of the roe deer, small deer that
live in Europe and Asia.
skirling (skrli) v. used as n.: shrill, piercing sound.
In lines 48-49, circle the sentence in which the omniscient narrator tells you what
each character is thinking
and feeling.
The Interlopers
83
50
to give full play to the passions of a lifetime. But a man who has
been brought up under the code of a restraining civilization
cannot easily nerve himself to shoot down his neighbor in cold
Circle the important event

that happens to the two
enemies (lines 56-59).
blood and without a word spoken, except for an offense against

his hearth and honor. And before the moment of hesitation had
given way to action, a deed of Natures own violence overwhelmed them both. A fierce shriek of the storm had been
Draw lines to break down

the long sentence in lines
69-72 into shorter units of
thought. Then, paraphrase
the sentence.
answered by a splitting crash over their heads, and ere they

could leap aside, a mass of falling beech tree had thundered
down on them. Ulrich von Gradwitz found himself stretched on
60
the ground, one arm numb beneath him and the other held
almost as helplessly in a tight tangle of forked branches, while
both legs were pinned beneath the fallen mass. His heavy shooting boots had saved his feet from being crushed to pieces, but if
his fractures were not as serious as they might have been, at least
it was evident that he could not move from his present position
till someone came to release him. The descending twigs had
slashed the skin of his face, and he had to wink away some drops
of blood from his eyelashes before he could take in a general
view of the disaster. At his side, so near that under ordinary circumstances he could almost have touched him, lay Georg
Znaeym, alive and struggling, but obviously as helplessly pinioned5 down as himself. All round them lay a thick-strewn
wreckage of splintered branches and broken twigs.
Relief at being alive and exasperation at his captive plight
brought a strange medley of pious thank offerings and sharp
curses to Ulrichs lips. Georg, who was nearly blinded with the
blood which trickled across his eyes, stopped his struggling for a
moment to listen, and then gave a short, snarling laugh.
So youre not killed, as you ought to be, but youre caught,
80
exasperation
(egzasprn) n.: great
annoyance.
anyway, he cried, caught fast. Ho, what a jest, Ulrich von

Gradwitz snared in his stolen forest. Theres real justice for you!
And he laughed again, mockingly and savagely.
pious (ps) adj.: showing

religious devotion.
5.
84
Part 1
pinioned (pinynd) v. used as adj.: pinned, as if chained or tied up.
70
Im caught in my own forest land, retorted Ulrich.

When my men come to release us, you will wish, perhaps, that
you were in a better plight than caught poaching on a neighbors
land, shame on you.
Georg was silent for a moment; then he answered quietly:
Are you sure that your men will find much to release? I
have men, too, in the forest tonight, close behind me, and they
90
will be here first and do the releasing. When they drag me out
retorted (ritrtid) v.: replied

in a sharp or witty way.
condolences (kndlnsiz)
n.: expressions of sympathy.
Condolence comes from two
Latin words: com-, a prefix
meaning with, and dolere,
meaning to grieve.
from under these branches, it wont need much clumsiness on

their part to roll this mass of trunk right over on the top of you.
Your men will find you dead under a fallen beech tree. For
forms sake I shall send my condolences to your family.
It is a useful hint, said Ulrich fiercely. My men had
Re-read lines 82-94. What do

the enemies threaten to do
to each other once they are
rescued?
orders to follow in ten minutes time, seven of which must have

gone by already, and when they get me outI will remember
the hint. Only as you will have met your death poaching on my
lands, I dont think I can decently send any message of condo100
lence to your family.

Good, snarled Georg, good. We fight this quarrel out to
the death, you and I and our foresters, with no cursed inter-
lopers to come between us. Death and damnation to you, Ulrich

von Gradwitz.
The same to you, Georg Znaeym, forest thief, game
snatcher.
Both men spoke with the bitterness of possible defeat
before them, for each knew that it might be long before his men
would seek him out or find him; it was a bare matter of chance
110
which party would arrive first on the scene.

Both had now given up the useless struggle to free themselves from the mass of wood that held them down; Ulrich limited his endeavors to an effort to bring his one partially free arm
near enough to his outer coat pocket to draw out his wine flask.
Even when he had accomplished that operation, it was long
before he could manage the unscrewing of the stopper or get
In line 113, circle the word

that restates the meaning of
endeavors.
The Interlopers
85
any of the liquid down his throat. But what a heaven-sent draft6
it seemed! It was an open winter7, and little snow had fallen as
yet, hence the captives suffered less from the cold than might
Re-read the long sentence in
lines 118-124. Then, summarize the sentence.
120
have been the case at that season of the year; nevertheless, the
wine was warming and reviving to the wounded man, and he
looked across with something like a throb of pity to where his
enemy lay, just keeping the groans of pain and weariness from
crossing his lips.
Could you reach this flask if I threw it over to you? asked
Ulrich suddenly. There is good wine in it, and one may as well
be as comfortable as one can. Let us drink, even if tonight one of
us dies.
No, I can scarcely see anything; there is so much blood
130
caked round my eyes, said Georg; and in any case I dont drink
wine with an enemy.
Ulrich was silent for a few minutes and lay listening to the
weary screeching of the wind. An idea was slowly forming and
growing in his brain, an idea that gained strength every time that
he looked across at the man who was fighting so grimly against
pain and exhaustion. In the pain and languor that Ulrich himself
Read the boxed passage

aloud several times. Focus on
conveying the different attitudes of Ulrich and Georg.
Neighbor, he said presently, do as you please if your men

come first. It was a fair compact. But as for me, Ive changed my
140
mind. If my men are the first to come, you shall be the first to be
helped, as though you were my guest. We have quarreled like
devils all our lives over this stupid strip of forest, where the trees
cant even stand upright in a breath of wind. Lying here tonight,

thinking, Ive come to think weve been rather fools; there are
better things in life than getting the better of a boundary dispute. Neighbor, if you will help me to bury the old quarrel, II
In lines 132-137, the narrator reveals an important

change in Ulrichs attitude.
Circle the important change
the narrator tells you about.
will ask you to be my friend.

Georg Znaeym was silent for so long that Ulrich thought
perhaps he had fainted with the pain of his injuries. Then he
150
spoke slowly and in jerks.

6.
7.
86
Part 1
draft n.: drink.

open winter: mild winter.
was feeling, the old fierce hatred seemed to be dying down.
Notes
Dudley Dana/Nonstock.
How the whole region would stare and gabble if we rode

into the market square together. No one living can remember
seeing a Znaeym and a von Gradwitz talking to one another in
friendship. And what peace there would be among the forester
folk if we ended our feud tonight. And if we choose to make
peace among our people, there is none other to interfere, no
interlopers from outside. . . . You would come and keep the
reconciliation
(reknsiln) n.: friendly
end to a quarrel.
succor (sukr) n.: help given
to someone in distress; relief.
Sylvester night8 beneath my roof, and I would come and feast on

some high day at your castle. . . . I would never fire a shot on
160
your land, save when you invited me as a guest; and you should
come and shoot with me down in the marshes where the wild-
fowl are. In all the countryside there are none that could hinder
if we willed to make peace. I never thought to have wanted to do
Pause at line 175. Earlier in

the story (lines 83-100), why
did each man hope that his
friends would be the first to
arrive? What has changed?
other than hate you all my life, but I think I have changed my
mind about things too, this last half-hour. And you offered me
your wine flask. . . . Ulrich von Gradwitz, I will be your friend.
For a space both men were silent, turning over in their
minds the wonderful changes that this dramatic reconciliation
would bring about. In the cold, gloomy forest, with the wind
170
tearing in fitful gusts through the naked branches and whistling

round the tree trunks, they lay and waited for the help that
would now bring release and succor to both parties. And each
prayed a private prayer that his men might be the first to arrive,
so that he might be the first to show honorable attention to the
enemy that had become a friend.
8.
Sylvester night: feast day honoring Saint Sylvester (Pope Sylvester I,

d. 335), observed on December 31.
The Interlopers
87
Presently, as the wind dropped for a moment, Ulrich broke

the silence.
Pause at line 203. The narrator doesnt reveal who is
coming toward the men.
What effect does this lack of
information create?
Lets shout for help, he said; in this lull our voices may
carry a little way.
They wont carry far through the trees and undergrowth,
180
said Georg, but we can try. Together, then.

The two raised their voices in a prolonged hunting call.
Together again, said Ulrich a few minutes later, after listening in vain for an answering halloo.
I heard something that time, I think, said Ulrich.
I heard nothing but the pestilential9 wind, said Georg
Read to the end of the story.

Underline the one word that
reveals the storys surprise
ending.
hoarsely.
There was silence again for some minutes, and then Ulrich
gave a joyful cry.
I can see figures coming through the wood. They are fol-
190
lowing in the way I came down the hillside.

Why is it fitting that the two
men, who were hunting each
other in the forest that winter night, are discovered
by wolves rather than by
rescuers?
Both men raised their voices in as loud a shout as they

could muster.
They hear us! Theyve stopped. Now they see us. Theyre
running down the hill toward us, cried Ulrich.
I cant see distinctly, said Ulrich; nine or ten.
Then they are yours, said Georg; I had only seven out
with me.
They are making all the speed they can, brave lads, said
200
Ulrich gladly.
Are they your men? asked Georg. Are they your men? he
repeated impatiently, as Ulrich did not answer.
No, said Ulrich with a laugh, the idiotic chattering laugh
of a man unstrung with hideous fear.
Who are they? asked Georg quickly, straining his eyes to
see what the other would gladly not have seen.
Wolves.
9.
88
Part 1
pestilential (pestlenl) adj.: Strictly speaking, pestilential means

deadly; causing disease; harmful. Here, Georg uses the word to
mean cursed.
How many of them are there? asked Georg.
The Interlopers
Narrator Questionnaire
This story is told by an omniscient narrator, who

knows all the storys secrets. Fill out this chart to examine the way point of view
affects the plot and characters of The Interlopers.
1. Does the narrator reveal the thoughts and feelings of the two men? Explain.
2. How would the story be different if it were told from the point of view of one of the
men?
3. How might the story be different if it were told from the point of view of the wolves?
The Interlopers
89
Skills Review
The Interlopers
Complete the sample test item below. Then, read the explanation at right.
Sample Test Question
Who is the storys narrator?
A Georg Znaeym
B Saki
C Ulrich von Gradwitz
D an unnamed, all-knowing storyteller
Explanation of the Correct Answer

The correct answer is D.
A and C are not correct, because the
story is told from the omniscient point
of view, not the point of view of just
one character. B is not correct; Saki is
the author.
DIRECTIONS: Circle the letter of each correct response.
A Both men spoke with the bitterness of possible defeat, for each
knew that it might be long before
his men would seek him out.
B The forest lands of Gradwitz
were of wide extent and well
stocked with game.
C The two raised their voices in a
prolonged hunting call.
D No, said Ulrich with a laugh,
the idiotic chattering laugh of a
man unstrung with hideous fear.
2. The narrator tells us the two men
F
are hunting wolves
G dont go hunting at night

Literary Skills
Analyze use of
the omniscient
narrator (or
point of view).
90
Part 1
H want to kill each other

J
go to hunting parties together
3. The two men decide to become

friends because_
A their men have ordered them to
B they hate the neighbors
C they have become tired of being
enemies
D they hope to save themselves by
working together
4. The narrator creates suspense by
waiting until the end to_
F
reveal what is approaching the

men
G tell which man dies first

H explain what the men were fighting about
J
warn readers against hunting at

night
1. Which passage reveals that the narrator is omniscient?
Skills Review
The Interlopers
Context Clues
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage, using context clues to identify the meaning
of the boldface word. Then, circle the letter of the definition of that word.
1. The hunter examined his quarry
after it had been shot.
3. They heard the loud sound when

the tree thundered down on them.
A rifle
C enemy
A fell from the sky
B land
D hunted animal
B was split by lightning
Vocabulary
Skills
Analyze context
clues to identify
word meaning.
Use words in
context.
C fell with a roaring noise

2. No one could stop the bitter feud
between the two neighbors.
F
ongoing argument
4. He felt no pain in his right arm,

which was now numb.
G broken fence
D yelled
H agreement
G without
feeling
flooded lands
bandaged H painful
J foolish
Vocabulary in Context
DIRECTIONS: Complete the paragraph below by writing the correct word
from the box in each blank. Not all words from the box will be used.
Word Box
The two enemies stared at each other. The gray-haired one
precipitous
laughed. What are you laughing at? the brown-haired one asked in
acquiesced
(1)
marauders
a trap, the other (2)
exasperation
pious
retorted
condolences
languor
. I am laughing at two helpless men caught in
friends? No, (3)
in anger. Shall we become

is not in my plans. I will never
make up with you. And dont give me any (4)

words about what religion has taught us. We will always be enemies. Our
widows can send each other (5)
if they wish.
reconciliation
succor
The Interlopers
91
42
The Holt Reader: Teachers Manual
80
Part 1
Vocabulary
Skills
Understand and
use context
clues.
Reading
Skills
Monitor your
reading.
Literary Skills
Recognize an
omniscient
narrator (or
point of view).
by Saki
Look for context clues that can help you figure out the meaning of
unfamiliar words.
Break down long sentences into shorter ones.
Look for the subject and verb in confusing sentences.
Stop to summarize important passages or scenes.
Re-read tough passages. Some passages are hard to understand the first
time.
Try to visualize, or picture, the events that are happening.
Some of the words and sentences in The Interlopers may seem difficult.
The following tips will help you understand this classic story.
READING SKILLS: MONITORING YOUR READING
As you read The Interlopers, pay special attention to the information

the narrator gives you about the two characters pasts.
The narrator of The Interlopers makes us think that events are leading
one way_up until the storys very end. Prepare to be surprised.
A storys omniscient narrator knows everything that happens, and why. This
type of narrator is not a character in the story but an outside observer who
can tell you what each character is thinking and feeling.
LITERARY FOCUS: OMNISCIENT NARRATOR
Imagine you are in a dark forest on a winter night, hunting an enemy_who

just happens to be your neighbor. Now suppose that your neighbor is hunting
you, too. What makes people who should be friends become fierce enemies?
Who is the loser in this storys deadly fight? The answer may shock you.
The Interlopers
Successful readers are like detectives looking for clues. When

good readers see an unfamiliar
word, they look at the context
the words and sentences around
the word_for clues to its meaning. Look at these examples to
learn more.
CONTEXT CLUES: SOLVING

WORD MYSTERIES
His cousin was full of pep, but Tito had

a feeling of languor.
Because of his languor, Tito slept all day.
Antonym
Cause and effect
81
Titos languor was like the feeling you

get after defeat in a basketball game.
Example
The Interlopers
Titos languor, his complete weariness,

came when the danger was over.
Definition
or restatement
Example
Unable to free themselves, they waited for

rescuers to give them succor.
succor (sukr) n.: help given to someone in

distress; relief.
The fight could end in one of two ways

reconciliation or death.
reconciliation (reknsiln) n.: friendly end

to a quarrel.
After hours of hard work, he felt a great

languor, and this exhaustion lasted all day.
When he heard about his enemys death, he sent

condolences to the widow.
condolences (kndlnsiz) n.: expressions of

sympathy.
Feeling insulted, he retorted angrily.
retorted (ritrtid) v.: replied in a sharp or witty

way.
Type of
Context Clue
Although not religious, his words were pious.
pious (ps) adj.: showing religious devotion.
His exasperation at being captured was so great

that he cursed aloud.
exasperation (egzasprn) n.: great

annoyance.
The man kept a sharp lookout for marauders

who might be prowling through the woods.
marauders (mrdrz) n.: people who roam

around in search of loot, or goods to steal.
They never acquiesced in the judgment of the

court; instead, they bitterly opposed it.
acquiesced (akwest) v. (used with in): accepted; agreed; consented.
The wooded slope was precipitousa vertical

cliffand hard to climb.
precipitous (prsipts) adj.: very steep.
Preview the following words from The Interlopers. Study the words before you begin the story.
PREVIEW SELECTION VOCABULARY
Collection 3
Student pages 8081
82
Part 1
10
the Carpathians,1 a man stood one winter night watching and
2.
1.
Carpathians (krpnz): mountain range that starts in Slovakia

and extends through Poland, Ukraine, and Romania.
poaching affrays (frz): noisy quarrels or brawls about poaching,
which means fishing or hunting illegally on private property.
courts, and a long series of poaching affrays2 and similar scan-
dispossessed party had never acquiesced in the judgment of the
gal possession of a neighboring family of petty landowners; the
suit, in the days of his grandfather, had wrested it from the ille-
guarded of all its owners territorial possessions. A famous law-
bored or the shooting it afforded, but it was the most jealously
that lay on its outskirt was not remarkable for the game it har-
stocked with game; the narrow strip of precipitous woodland
The forest lands of Gradwitz were of wide extent and well
forest in quest of a human enemy.
proper for the chase; Ulrich von Gradwitz patrolled the dark
none that figured in the sportsmans calendar as lawful and
the game for whose presence he kept so keen an outlook was
come within the range of his vision and, later, of his rifle. But
listening, as though he waited for some beast of the woods to
Acquiesce has the same Latin

origin as quiet. Someone
who acquiesces agrees
quietly and without
excitement.
acquiesced (akwest) v.
(used with in): accepted;
agreed; consented.
precipitous (prsipts)
adj.: very steep.
enemy.
he is hunting a human
Ulrich von Gradwitz;
Which character are you

introduced to in the first
paragraph? What is he looking for in the forest?
Michael Busselle/Getty Images.
In a forest of mixed growth somewhere on the eastern spurs of
Saki
The Interlopers
40
30
20
4.
3.
roebuck (rbuk) n.: male (or males) of the roe deer, small deer that
live in Europe and Asia.
skirling (skrli) v. used as n.: shrill, piercing sound.
heart and murder uppermost in his mind. The chance had come
silent moment. Each had a rifle in his hand, each had hate in his
The two enemies stood glaring at one another for a long
huge beech he came face to face with the man he sought.
most in his thoughts. And as he stepped round the trunk of a
to man, with none to witnessthat was the wish that was upper-
this dark, lone spot, he might come across Georg Znaeym, man
sight or sound of the marauders. If only on this wild night, in
skirling4 of the wind and the restless beating of the branches for
through the tree trunks and listening through the whistling and
the steep slopes amid the wild tangle of undergrowth, peering
placed in ambush on the crest of the hill and wandered far down
He strayed away by himself from the watchers whom he had
est, and Ulrich could guess the quarter from whence it came.
dark hours. Assuredly there was a disturbing element in the for-
unrest among the creatures that were wont to sleep through the
running like driven things tonight, and there was movement and
usually kept in the sheltered hollows during a storm wind, were
being afoot from across the land boundary. The roebuck,3 which
to keep a lookout for the prowling thieves whom he suspected of
to watch the dark forest, not in quest of four-footed quarry, but
scourged winter night Ulrich had banded together his foresters
prayed that misfortune might fall on the other, and this wind-
boys they had thirsted for one anothers blood, as men each
personal ill will of the two men had not stood in the way; as
might, perhaps, have died down or been compromised if the
snatcher and raider of the disputed border forest. The feud
Georg Znaeym, the inheritor of the quarrel and the tireless game
a man in the world whom he detested and wished ill to, it was
one since Ulrich had come to be head of his family; if there was
three generations. The neighbor feud had grown into a personal
dals had embittered the relationships between the families for
The Interlopers
83
In lines 48-49, circle the sentence in which the omniscient narrator tells you what
each character is thinking
and feeling.
important
highest; most
In lines 44-45, underline the

compound word_a word
that is made up of two
words. What does this compound word mean?
marauders (mrdrz) n.:

people who roam around in
search of loot, or goods to
steal.
Georg Znaeym
Re-read lines 19-31.

Underline what you learn
about why the two men continue the fight between the
neighboring families. Whom
is Ulrich feuding with?
Collection 3
Student pages 8283
Student Pages with Answers
43
44
84
Part 1
80
5.
pinioned (pinynd) v. used as adj.: pinned, as if chained or tied up.
And he laughed again, mockingly and savagely.
Gradwitz snared in his stolen forest. Theres real justice for you!
anyway, he cried, caught fast. Ho, what a jest, Ulrich von
So youre not killed, as you ought to be, but youre caught,
moment to listen, and then gave a short, snarling laugh.
blood which trickled across his eyes, stopped his struggling for a
curses to Ulrichs lips. Georg, who was nearly blinded with the
brought a strange medley of pious thank offerings and sharp
Relief at being alive and exasperation at his captive plight
wreckage of splintered branches and broken twigs.
ioned5 down as himself. All round them lay a thick-strewn
Znaeym, alive and struggling, but obviously as helplessly pin-
cumstances he could almost have touched him, lay Georg
view of the disaster. At his side, so near that under ordinary cir-
of blood from his eyelashes before he could take in a general
slashed the skin of his face, and he had to wink away some drops
till someone came to release him. The descending twigs had
it was evident that he could not move from his present position
pious (ps) adj.: showing

religious devotion.
exasperation
(egzasprn) n.: great
annoyance.
down as Ulrich was.
as helplessly pinned
gling. But Georg was
was alive and strug-
Georg Znaeym. Georg
touched him, lay
ing boots had saved his feet from being crushed to pieces, but if
his fractures were not as serious as they might have been, at least
both legs were pinned beneath the fallen mass. His heavy shoot-
almost as helplessly in a tight tangle of forked branches, while
the ground, one arm numb beneath him and the other held
down on them. Ulrich von Gradwitz found himself stretched on
could leap aside, a mass of falling beech tree had thundered
answered by a splitting crash over their heads, and ere they
whelmed them both. A fierce shriek of the storm had been
given way to action, a deed of Natures own violence over-
his hearth and honor. And before the moment of hesitation had
blood and without a word spoken, except for an offense against
cannot easily nerve himself to shoot down his neighbor in cold
could almost have
70
60
to give full play to the passions of a lifetime. But a man who has
been brought up under the code of a restraining civilization
near that Ulrich . . .
At Ulrichs side, so
Draw lines to break down

the long sentence in lines
69-72 into shorter units of
thought. Then, paraphrase
the sentence.
Circle the important event

that happens to the two
enemies (lines 56-59).
50
110
100
90
Im caught in my own forest land, retorted Ulrich.
before he could manage the unscrewing of the stopper or get
Even when he had accomplished that operation, it was long
near enough to his outer coat pocket to draw out his wine flask.
ited his endeavors to an effort to bring his one partially free arm
selves from the mass of wood that held them down; Ulrich lim-
Both had now given up the useless struggle to free them-
which party would arrive first on the scene.
would seek him out or find him; it was a bare matter of chance
before them, for each knew that it might be long before his men
Both men spoke with the bitterness of possible defeat
snatcher.
The same to you, Georg Znaeym, forest thief, game
von Gradwitz.
lopers to come between us. Death and damnation to you, Ulrich
the death, you and I and our foresters, with no cursed inter-
Good, snarled Georg, good. We fight this quarrel out to
lence to your family.
lands, I dont think I can decently send any message of condo-
The Interlopers
85
In line 113, circle the word

that restates the meaning of
endeavors.
the other killed.
the hint. Only as you will have met your death poaching on my
Each threatens to have
gone by already, and when they get me outI will remember
Re-read lines 82-94. What do

the enemies threaten to do
to each other once they are
rescued?
condolences (kndlnsiz)
n.: expressions of sympathy.
Condolence comes from two
Latin words: com-, a prefix
meaning with, and dolere,
meaning to grieve.
retorted (ritrtid) v.: replied

in a sharp or witty way.
orders to follow in ten minutes time, seven of which must have
It is a useful hint, said Ulrich fiercely. My men had
forms sake I shall send my condolences to your family.
Your men will find you dead under a fallen beech tree. For
their part to roll this mass of trunk right over on the top of you.
from under these branches, it wont need much clumsiness on
will be here first and do the releasing. When they drag me out
have men, too, in the forest tonight, close behind me, and they
Are you sure that your men will find much to release? I
Georg was silent for a moment; then he answered quietly:
land, shame on you.
you were in a better plight than caught poaching on a neighbors
When my men come to release us, you will wish, perhaps, that
Collection 3
Student pages 8485
86
Part 1
150
6.
7.
draft n.: drink.

open winter: mild winter.
spoke slowly and in jerks.
perhaps he had fainted with the pain of his injuries. Then he
Georg Znaeym was silent for so long that Ulrich thought
will ask you to be my friend.
pute. Neighbor, if you will help me to bury the old quarrel, II
better things in life than getting the better of a boundary dis-
thinking, Ive come to think weve been rather fools; there are
cant even stand upright in a breath of wind. Lying here tonight,
devils all our lives over this stupid strip of forest, where the trees
helped, as though you were my guest. We have quarreled like
mind. If my men are the first to come, you shall be the first to be
come first. It was a fair compact. But as for me, Ive changed my
Neighbor, he said presently, do as you please if your men
was feeling, the old fierce hatred seemed to be dying down.
pain and exhaustion. In the pain and languor that Ulrich himself
he looked across at the man who was fighting so grimly against
growing in his brain, an idea that gained strength every time that
weary screeching of the wind. An idea was slowly forming and
Ulrich was silent for a few minutes and lay listening to the
wine with an enemy.
caked round my eyes, said Georg; and in any case I dont drink
In lines 132-137, the narrator reveals an important

change in Ulrichs attitude.
Circle the important change
the narrator tells you about.
Read the boxed passage

aloud several times. Focus on
conveying the different attitudes of Ulrich and Georg.
with pain.
trying not to groan
pity Georg, who was
140
and made him feel
better. He began to
us dies.
No, I can scarcely see anything; there is so much blood
be as comfortable as one can. Let us drink, even if tonight one of
Ulrich suddenly. There is good wine in it, and one may as well
Could you reach this flask if I threw it over to you? asked
wine warmed Ulrich
usual in winter. The
130
enemy lay, just keeping the groans of pain and weariness from
crossing his lips.
looked across with something like a throb of pity to where his
so the trapped men
were warmer than
wine was warming and reviving to the wounded man, and he
have been the case at that season of the year; nevertheless, the
The winter was mild,
120
Re-read the long sentence in

lines 118-124. Then, summarize the sentence.
yet, hence the captives suffered less from the cold than might
it seemed! It was an open winter7, and little snow had fallen as
any of the liquid down his throat. But what a heaven-sent draft6
170
160
Dudley Dana/Nonstock.
8.
Sylvester night: feast day honoring Saint Sylvester (Pope Sylvester I,

d. 335), observed on December 31.
enemy that had become a friend.
so that he might be the first to show honorable attention to the
prayed a private prayer that his men might be the first to arrive,
would now bring release and succor to both parties. And each
round the tree trunks, they lay and waited for the help that
The Interlopers
of friendship.
87
be rescued as a show
his former enemy may
men to arrive first so
Georg each wants his
killed. Now, Ulrich and
enemy, would be
tearing in fitful gusts through the naked branches and whistling
the other man, the

would bring about. In the cold, gloomy forest, with the wind
men to arrive first so
Georg each wanted his
Earlier, Ulrich and
Pause at line 175. Earlier in

the story (lines 83-100), why
did each man hope that his
friends would be the first to
arrive? What has changed?
succor (sukr) n.: help given

to someone in distress; relief.
reconciliation
(reknsiln) n.: friendly
end to a quarrel.
minds the wonderful changes that this dramatic reconciliation
For a space both men were silent, turning over in their
your wine flask. . . . Ulrich von Gradwitz, I will be your friend.
mind about things too, this last half-hour. And you offered me
other than hate you all my life, but I think I have changed my
if we willed to make peace. I never thought to have wanted to do
fowl are. In all the countryside there are none that could hinder
come and shoot with me down in the marshes where the wild-
your land, save when you invited me as a guest; and you should
some high day at your castle. . . . I would never fire a shot on
Sylvester night8 beneath my roof, and I would come and feast on
interlopers from outside. . . . You would come and keep the
peace among our people, there is none other to interfere, no
folk if we ended our feud tonight. And if we choose to make
friendship. And what peace there would be among the forester
seeing a Znaeym and a von Gradwitz talking to one another in
into the market square together. No one living can remember
How the whole region would stare and gabble if we rode
Notes
Collection 3
Student pages 8687
45
46
88
Part 1
They are making all the speed they can, brave lads, said
9.
pestilential (pestlenl) adj.: Strictly speaking, pestilential means

deadly; causing disease; harmful. Here, Georg uses the word to
mean cursed.
Wolves.
see what the other would gladly not have seen.
Who are they? asked Georg quickly, straining his eyes to
of a man unstrung with hideous fear.
No, said Ulrich with a laugh, the idiotic chattering laugh
repeated impatiently, as Ulrich did not answer.
Are they your men? asked Georg. Are they your men? he
Ulrich gladly.
their enemies at night.
Then they are yours, said Georg; I had only seven out
with me.
humans, out hunting
How many of them are there? asked Georg.
running down the hill toward us, cried Ulrich.
They hear us! Theyve stopped. Now they see us. Theyre
could muster.
Both men raised their voices in as loud a shout as they
lowing in the way I came down the hillside.
I can see figures coming through the wood. They are fol-
gave a joyful cry.
There was silence again for some minutes, and then Ulrich
hoarsely.
I heard nothing but the pestilential9 wind, said Georg
I heard something that time, I think, said Ulrich.
tening in vain for an answering halloo.
Together again, said Ulrich a few minutes later, after lis-
The two raised their voices in a prolonged hunting call.
said Georg, but we can try. Together, then.
They wont carry far through the trees and undergrowth,
carry a little way.
I cant see distinctly, said Ulrich; nine or ten.
200
190
180
Lets shout for help, he said; in this lull our voices may
more like wolves than
The men were acting
Why is it fitting that the two

men, who were hunting each
other in the forest that winter night, are discovered
by wolves rather than by
rescuers?
Read to the end of the story.

Underline the one word that
reveals the storys surprise
ending.
It creates suspense.
Pause at line 203. The narrator doesnt reveal who is

coming toward the men.
What effect does this lack of
information create?
Presently, as the wind dropped for a moment, Ulrich broke

the silence.
men. The story might not have the surprise ending it has.
The Interlopers
The reader might be sympathetic to the wolves instead of to the two
3. How might the story be different if it were told from the point of view of the wolves?
attacked the other man.
view the story was told; the reader might not care that the wolves
The reader might be more sympathetic to the man from whose point of
2. How would the story be different if it were told from the point of view of one of the
men?
that they may both die; how they both react to the wolves.
when trapped under the tree; how their feelings change when they fear
childhood and now want to kill each other; how the two men react
Yes, the narrator describes how the two men hated each other since
1. Does the narrator reveal the thoughts and feelings of the two men? Explain.
This story is told by an omniscient narrator, who

knows all the storys secrets. Fill out this chart to examine the way point of view
affects the plot and characters of The Interlopers.
Narrator Questionnaire
The Interlopers
89
Collection 3
Student pages 8889
90
Part 1
Literary Skills
Analyze use of
the omniscient
narrator (or
point of view).
The Interlopers
A and C are not correct, because the

story is told from the omniscient point
of view, not the point of view of just
one character. B is not correct; Saki is
the author.
The correct answer is D.
Explanation of the Correct Answer
are hunting wolves
go to hunting parties together
H want to kill each other
G dont go hunting at night
2. The narrator tells us the two men
D No, said Ulrich with a laugh,

the idiotic chattering laugh of a
man unstrung with hideous fear.
C The two raised their voices in a

prolonged hunting call.
B The forest lands of Gradwitz

were of wide extent and well
stocked with game.
A Both men spoke with the bitterness of possible defeat, for each
knew that it might be long before
his men would seek him out.
1. Which passage reveals that the narrator is omniscient?
reveal what is approaching the

men
warn readers against hunting at

night
H explain what the men were fighting about
G tell which man dies first
4. The narrator creates suspense by

waiting until the end to_
D they hope to save themselves by

working together
C they have become tired of being

enemies
B they hate the neighbors
A their men have ordered them to
3. The two men decide to become

friends because_
DIRECTIONS: Circle the letter of each correct response.
D an unnamed, all-knowing storyteller
C Ulrich von Gradwitz
B Saki
A Georg Znaeym
Who is the storys narrator?
Sample Test Question
Complete the sample test item below. Then, read the explanation at right.
Skills Review
D hunted animal
B land
ongoing argument
G without
feeling
succor
reconciliation
languor
condolences
retorted
pious
exasperation
marauders
acquiesced
exasperation
reconciliation
retorted
widows can send each other (5)
condolences
The Interlopers
if they wish.
words about what religion has taught us. We will always be enemies. Our
pious
is not in my plans. I will never
91
in anger. Shall we become
. I am laughing at two helpless men caught in
make up with you. And dont give me any (4)
friends? No, (3)
a trap, the other (2)
(1)
The two enemies stared at each other. The gray-haired one

laughed. What are you laughing at? the brown-haired one asked in
precipitous
Vocabulary
Skills
Analyze context
clues to identify
word meaning.
Use words in
context.
Word Box
DIRECTIONS: Complete the paragraph below by writing the correct word

from the box in each blank. Not all words from the box will be used.
Vocabulary in Context
J foolish
bandaged H painful
flooded lands
4. He felt no pain in his right arm,

which was now numb.
D yelled
C fell with a roaring noise
B was split by lightning
A fell from the sky
3. They heard the loud sound when

the tree thundered down on them.
H agreement
G broken fence
2. No one could stop the bitter feud

between the two neighbors.
C enemy
A rifle
1. The hunter examined his quarry

after it had been shot.
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage, using context clues to identify the meaning
of the boldface word. Then, circle the letter of the definition of that word.
Context Clues
The Interlopers
Skills Review
Collection 3
Student pages 9091
47
Name
Date
Selection Title
Narrator Chart
The point of view of the narrator determines what you learn as you read a story. A thirdperson-omniscient narrator knows and tells all. The third-person-limited or first-person
narrator tells only what one character knows. If the narrator is biased or unreliable, you
may not be able to believe what you read. In the chart below, fill in the point of view of the
narrator who tells the story you have just read. Then tell what you have learned from the
narrator. (You may not learn anything about an omniscient narrator.) Finally, decide if what
you learned is reliable.
Point of View:
What I Learned About
The Narrator:
Other Characters:
Events:
Is the information reliable? _____________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________
Graphic Organizers
209

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The Interlopers

Imagine you are in a dark forest on a winter night, hunting an enemy_who

LITERARY FOCUS: OMNISCIENT NARRATOR

READING SKILLS: MONITORING YOUR READING

Collection 3: Narrator and Voice

Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

PREVIEW SELECTION VOCABULARY

The wooded slope was precipitousa vertical

retorted (ritrtid) v.: replied in a sharp or witty

Feeling insulted, he retorted angrily.

They never acquiesced in the judgment of the

The man kept a sharp lookout for marauders

Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

His exasperation at being captured was so great

When he heard about his enemys death, he sent

After hours of hard work, he felt a great

The fight could end in one of two ways

Although not religious, his words were pious.

CONTEXT CLUES: SOLVING

Unable to free themselves, they waited for

Titos languor, his complete weariness,

Titos languor was like the feeling you

His cousin was full of pep, but Tito had

Cause and effect

Because of his languor, Tito slept all day.

Michael Busselle/Getty Images.

In a forest of mixed growth somewhere on the eastern spurs of

Which character are you

stocked with game; the narrow strip of precipitous woodland

bored or the shooting it afforded, but it was the most jealously

Acquiesce has the same Latin

Carpathians (krpnz): mountain range that starts in Slovakia

Collection 3: Narrator and Voice

Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

the game for whose presence he kept so keen an outlook was

dals had embittered the relationships between the families for

Re-read lines 19-31.

might, perhaps, have died down or been compromised if the

to keep a lookout for the prowling thieves whom he suspected of

marauders (mrdrz) n.:

In lines 44-45, underline the

He strayed away by himself from the watchers whom he had

Circle the important event

blood and without a word spoken, except for an offense against

Draw lines to break down

answered by a splitting crash over their heads, and ere they

anyway, he cried, caught fast. Ho, what a jest, Ulrich von

pious (ps) adj.: showing

pinioned (pinynd) v. used as adj.: pinned, as if chained or tied up.

Collection 3: Narrator and Voice

Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Im caught in my own forest land, retorted Ulrich.

retorted (ritrtid) v.: replied

from under these branches, it wont need much clumsiness on

Re-read lines 82-94. What do

orders to follow in ten minutes time, seven of which must have

lence to your family.

Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

lopers to come between us. Death and damnation to you, Ulrich

which party would arrive first on the scene.

In line 113, circle the word

Read the boxed passage

Neighbor, he said presently, do as you please if your men